Animal-trap.



E. H. SLOAN, JR.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1912.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1.

IIEL.

' I T TTEI E. H. SLOAN, JR.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1912.

1,056,714. Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

Z SHEETSSHEET 2.

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wmmm Sloan, Jr. g My/WQ v To all whom it may concern UNI-TED STATES-PATENT ornrcn.

EMANUEL H. SLOAN, 33., OFCOEONA, NEW MEXICO.

I ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 13, 1912. Serial No. 714,835.:

- Patented Mar. 18,1913.

- Be it known that I, EMANUEL H. SLoAn,

Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Corona, in the county of Lincoln and State ofNew Mexico, have invented new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traps primarily intended for trapping large or fur bearing animals, the object of the invention bei g to provide -a spring actuated jawtrap' in which the employment of the usualbaitplates is dispensed with, the said trap adapted to be buried in the foliage and having a string or the like connected with the trigger of the trap and overlying the said buried trap which, upon contact, will actuate the jaws of the trap to secure the animal passing over the trap. I j

Another object of the inventionis'to provide a trap with means whereby the spring actuated jaws will not be accidentally-sprung during the processof burying the trap..

A still further object of the invention is to provide a trap comprising pivoted spring actuated jaws each having an additional jaw pivotally connected thereto and whereby the leg of the animal is grasped at two separate and distinct oint's. x

With he above 0 jects in" View, and others which will appear as the nature of the invention progresses, the improvement resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, accompanying this specification, there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the improvement, and in which drawings' Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trap constructed in accordance withthe present invention, the parts being illustrated in their folded position. Fig. 2 is a similar view 7 showing the jaws of'the trap swung to their open position and retained by the trigger. Fig. 3 is a central transverse sectional view, taken through the trigger support when the device is in the position illustrated in Fig.

\ 2. Fig. 4 is a detail central longitudinal sectional view taken adjacent one end of the trap. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the parts of the trigger when the same have been actuated. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view illustratlng the manner of'connecting the lower jaws with the f gnawing and severing their feet, thus leaving' the severed foot within the trap and permitting of the animal making his escape. It is also well known in this art that the animal gnaws his engaged foot or paw beneath its contact by the jaws of the trap. The portion of the |paw or leg of the animal swells above its contact by the jaws of the the present invention to provide a trap havmg means whereby the paw or leg of the animal will be enga ed at two separate and distinct points, so t at should the animal.

gnaw away his foot which is engaged by the lower jaws of the trap, the foot will still be retained by the upper jaws of the trap.

In the drawings, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the said drawings, the numeral 1 desig nates the base for the trap. 'This base 1 comprises a substantially rectangular member formed of any suitable hardened material,.

metal preferred. This base 1 adjacent its opposite ends is formed with rectangular slots, which are adapted to receive the lower reduced portionsof standards 2. The

. trap, and it is one of the primary objects of reduced portions of the said standards,-

which depend below the lower face of the base, are flattened or otherwise rigidly secured to the said base. Each of the standards 2 is provided with a erforation or opening, the said openings being-adapted to receive pintles 3 whereby the coacting, and oppositely arranged upper jaws 4 and 5 are hlngedly connected. with the base. These jaws 4 and 5 are each of the well known arch type, and pivotally connected to eachof thesaid jaws a'suitable distance above their pivotal engagement with the standards 2 are the right angular ends 6 of what I term retaining jaw members 7 By reference to the figures of the drawings, it will be noted that the o-fi-set or inturned ends 6 of each of the lower jaws 7 is comparatively slight, so

that the swinging of the said jawsis thereby limited.

The numerals 8 and 9 designate the two armed spring members which have their extremities provided with openings 10 which engage between the base land the off-set area to permit of the said springs being swun upon the'base 1 of the Hater? in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The numeral 12 designates a trigger supporting bar which is pivoted approximately centrally of the base 1 as at 13. The 0 posite end of this support 12 1s off-set or ent upwardly as at 14, the said upturned portion being formed adjacent its extremity with an opening 15. This opening 15 'is adapted to receive the be termed the trigger proper which is designated by-the numeral 17. The base of the trigger support is provided with a rotatable member 18, the same having its upper ex"- tremity bifurcated and secured between the arms provided by the said bifurcation 1s what I-term' a hook 19. This hook 19 has its lower edge, or that adjacent its connection with the rotatable member 18 formed with an inturned or depressed portion 20, and the trigger 17 which is constructed of a flattened piece of material has its free extremity engaging with the said depression 20 when the jewel is swung to an outward positionand below the trigger 17. Connected with the eye 16 of the trigger 17 through the medium of a substantially V-shaped slot 21 is a. twig holder or tripping element22 of the trigger. The hook member 19 also comprises a flattened element, the same having its extremity inturned' as at 23 and which, when the trap is in its set-up position, is adapted to engage above the upper extremity of the member. 22 and the 1nturned portion or hook proper engaged between the upper walls. formed by the V- shaped opening 21. The tripping element 22 is provided with a twig receiving sleeve 24:. The twig25 which is adapted to be received within the sleeve 24 has connected thereto a cord or analogous element 26, which is preferably of a color corresponding with the color of the foliage within which the trap is buried. The numeral 27 designates a second twig or sapling to which theopposite end of the cord 26 is attached, the said cord being arranged above and transversely of the said jaws of the trap.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that the cord 26 will swing the tripping ;member trap, as illuseye 16 of what may.

his skin It will be noted that when the elements forcibly an animal-{contacting 22 toward. the base of the trap, thus, through the tension of the springs, causing the jaws to contact with and be released from the trigger 17 and the hook member 19 and to be swung to grasp the footand leg of the animal. i i

It will be obvious that when the tri is actuated the jaws 4 and 5 forced against each other gage with the leg of the animal trapped, and that the jaws 7 will swing upon their pivots to permit of the same tive y lightly against the leg of the animal. As stated, the ofl setportions 6 of the jaws 7 are comparatively slight so that the jaws are limited in their ment. Furthermore, it will be noted, by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, that the said offset members are curved to correspond with the curved sides of the jaws 4, and this arrangement also limits the swinging movement in an upward direction of the jaws 7 with relation'to the jaws 4 and 5. Again the jaws 7 are preferably, and as illustrated in the drawings, rectangular in cross section, and an attempt at the withdrawal'of' will be tig itly when the said leg to securely enoutward swinging move gerbearing comparathe jaw 7, tend to swing the said jaws to a. closed position. The space between the jaws .4 and 7 is not suflicientto permit of the'animal inserting his nose to engage with that part of the leg or paw held bythe, said jaws 4. and 5, and as the swelling of theleg or paw, as well as the pain incident to the grasping of the leg of the animal is confined between the upper portions of the jaws 4 and 5 and that of'the jaw 7, the animal will not attempt to gnaw that portion of his foot below the jaw 7, so that injury to is thus effectively overcome.

comprising the trigger are in their set up position a twig may be inserted between the inturned or rounded extension of the hook 19 through the V-shaped opening 21 of the trip member 22, the said twig forming a wedge between the hook and the eye of the trigger thus preventing the accidental movement of. any of the trigger elements and thus allowing the trap to be embedded with per.- fect safety. It. is, of course, obvious that after the trap has been sa-felyembedded the wedge is removed.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be noted that the springs 8 and 9 when expanded, have their upper arms contacted with the under faces of the retaining jaws. Such an arrangement prevents the too forcible contact of the jaws 4 and 5, and thus materially adds to the life of the trap.

. It is-th'ought that the simplicity as well as-thead'VantageS of the trap will be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such inventions appertain without further detailed description.

Having thus fully described the said invention, what I claim is 1. In a trap of the class described comprising a base, a air of arched jaws pivotally connected wlth the base, a second pair of jaws each provided with angular ends, and each of the said angular ends having their outer faces arched to correspond to the opposite arched sides of the main jaws, and pivots connecting the angular portions of the auxiliary jaws to the sides of the main jaws.

2. A spring trap of the class described including a base, a pivoted trigger bar arranged upon the base, said bar having its outer end upset, a trigger pivotally connected with said upset portion, a hook member pivotally connected with the bar and.

having a depressed'porti'on adjacent its pivot which is adapted to be engaged by the trigger, a twig holder pivotally connected with the trigger spring actuated jaws, one ofsaid jaws adapted to be arranged beneath the trigger when the jaws are in an open position, and each of the jaws comprising an arched member having a substantially rectangular auxiliary jaw pivotally connected thereto.

3. A trap for the purpose set forth comprising a base constructed of a rectangular member, standards secured to the opposite ends of the base, a pair of U-shapedcoacting jaws pivotally connected with the standards,

a second jaw for each of the'first named jaws, each of said second. jaws comprising a rectangular member having off-set ends which are pivotally connected with the first named jaws, double armed springs having their ends provided with eyes exerting pressure between the base and the jaws to normally retain the latter in a closed position, a pivoted trigger support upon the base, said support having its free extremity upturned and provided with an opening, a

flattened trigger provided with an eye engaging the said opening and adapted to overlie one jaw when in set position, a hook member pivotally connected with the support, saidhook member being provided with a depression adapted to be engaged bythe trigger when the trap is set, a flattened trigger member havin a substantially V- .shaped'opening engaging with the eye of the trigger, the hook member having its inturned portionadapted to overlie and engage the walls provided by the V-shaped opening of the trigger member, and a twig ing angular ends pivot-ally connected to the sides of the arched jaws and arranged in a plane with and below the arched jaws, twoarm spring membershaving their ends provided with openings, whereby the same are arranged u on the base and'upon the sides of the arc ed jaws, and the said spring members, when expanded, adapted each to have one of its arms contact with the under faces of the second pair of pivoted jaws.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. EMANUEL H. SLOAN, JR. WVitnesses:

i R. G. BLAIR, J. P. Crown. 

